


the Laundromat

by Gedachtenextracten



Category: Rookie Blue
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-14 23:06:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13600359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gedachtenextracten/pseuds/Gedachtenextracten
Summary: Holly meets a beautiful woman at the laundromat.





	the Laundromat

 

“For fuck's sake,” she heard the woman mumble under her breath. “Stupid machine.”

Holly glanced at the swearing woman. She had only just come in, slamming the door open and swearing, before striding to the nearest unoccupied machine. Well, admittedly, there were a lot of unoccupied machines, since there were only two other people apart from her and this newcomer. But still, it was quiet tonight. Must have something to do with –

Yet another string of loud curse words interrupted her thoughts. “Fuck, fuck, FUCK!”

This time she full on looked at the other woman. So did the couple a few machines down. They’d taken their laundry out of the dryer and had begun folding it. The newcomer kicked off her shoes, crouched down in front of the washing machine and started angrily stuffing her clothes in it. She sighed and ran her hand through her short blonde hair. It was then that Holly noticed the wet patch on the woman’s back. That, and the trail of water that probably led all the way back to the crime scene- erm, this woman’s house, or something. Wherever she came from. Definitely not a crime scene.

“What are you looking at?” asked the woman harshly, standing up as she turned to look at her. Holly’s eyes widened. She could practically feel the ice in her voice, and with her hands in her waist, this woman was quite terrifying. If looks could kill, Holly would be dead on the floor by now. She was sure of that. At least _that_ would make for a real crime scene. _No, Holly, keep your thoughts together. Stay on topic._

Holly gestured at her waist. “You, you, um, your...” _Oh god, now she was stuttering too._ She felt like being in high school all over again.

“ _What_?” _Yup, still angry._ The couple had gathered their remaining clothes as quickly as they could and left.

“I’m sorry.” Holly’s face fell and she averted her gaze and took a few steps back. “I didn’t mean to-”

“Yeah, look. I’m sorry, too.” The woman visibly deflated. “I’m just having the crappiest day _ever_.” She leaned her back against the machines and folded her arms across her chest.

Holly looked up again.

“My boyfriend, well _ex_ -boyfriend now,” she huffed. “Since he made out with my friend… Who’s also an ex-friend now, I guess…” Her piercing blue eyes met Holly’s. “To keep the story short: my washing machine broke a long time ago, so I used to use his, but now I can’t do that any more, can I?" 

Holly frowned and slowly shook her head. "I guess not?"

The woman sighed. “It’s just that I _really_ need clean clothes because I’m having dinner at my parents’ house tomorrow and my mom is going to _kill_ me if I’m not looking like the little miss Perfect she wants me to be, and I really don’t need yet another lecture on her Peckspectations. So I thought I should try if my own washing machine hadn’t decided to magically work again. But it didn’t.” She glared at the wet backpack Holly had seen her carry when she barged in before. “So I ended up with a stinking wet pile of rags.” Her eyes found Holly’s again. “And that mess dripped all over the backpack and myself, as you so eloquently pointed out.”

Holly nodded. “Okay…”

“This is just perfect.” She sighed again and pulled at her sweater. “These were the last clean clothes I had. Oh well. In they go.” She started pulling her sweater off.

Holly’s eyes grew big and she spun around so her back faced the other woman. “Um… What are you doing?”

“I- am- trying-“ came a muffled response. ”To get- this- sweater- off.” She grunted. “But as you can see, I’m failing. A little help, please?”

Holly turned around again and crossed the small distance between them. “Erm, what do I do?”

“Have you never undressed anyone before?” came the incredulous response. “Help me get this thing off. Just, like, pull it up and over my head.”

Holly felt her face heat up again, which made her glad the other woman’s vision was blocked by the offending piece of clothing. She grabbed the hem of the sweater and helped free the woman. “I haven’t undressed someone in quite some time, really. I think I resign to cutting away clothing instead of gently undressing. And I also think I’ve asked people to undress for me more often than undressing them myself,” she mused. “Which is also difficult. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to convince people they should take their clothes off if they don’t really want to.”

The woman cocked her head to the side and gave her a strange look.

Holly’s face flushed immediately. “Oh, no. I meant- They were all my _patients_. I had to _examine_ them. I’m a doctor!”

“Hm. I do hope that’s true. Otherwise I’d have to arrest you, being a police officer and all.” She turned around to toss her sweater in the washing machine.

Holly tried, but she didn’t manage to avert her eyes from the beautiful pale expanse of this woman’s back. She wondered how her skin would feel under her fingertips. _Wow_. _She really needed to get back to dating people. Her hormones were doing things she was certain they shouldn’t be doing._

“I’m, um, Holly Stewart. Nice to meet you.”

“Gail Peck.” The woman – _Gail,_ Holly corrected herself – turned to face her again and wiggled out of her pants. They also went in the washing machine. She pushed some buttons until the machine started working.

Holly tried to look everywhere but at this woman, who was now standing before her in nothing but her underwear.

“Hey, do you think I could borrow a shirt?”

“Huh?” Great, now she had to look at her. Okay, that actually _was_ kinda great. This woman was beautiful. _Stupid hormones._

Gail pointed behind her, where the drying machine was beeping without Holly even noticing. “A shirt? Your laundry’s dry. Can I borrow one?”

“Oh. Yeah. Of course.” Holly opened the machine’s door and grabbed the first t-shirt she saw. “Here you go.”

Gail held up the t-shirt. “Thanks… _Nerd_.”

“Excuse me?” Holly wondered if she heard that correctly over the sound of the washing machines still going.

Gail chuckled. “A picture of a two dates with ‘Date night’ written underneath it? Definitely a nerd.” She faked a gasp. “Or was this actually your way of asking me on a date?”

Holly turned bright red. “I, um…”

Gail’s features softened. “Calm down doc. I’m just teasing you. Besides, you already managed to get me undressed. I’d say you’re not doing too bad.” She winked before pulling the t-shirt over her head. “And now you’ve even got me to wear your clothes. Feels like we’ve skipped some steps in this relationship.”

“We’ve… In this… What?”

“You know, for a doctor, you are very well-spoken. Let’s see if you can hold a normal conversation. With a normal person. Like me.” She hoisted herself up on one of the washing machines.

Holly turned her back to her. To take her laundry out of the machine. Not to hide her face, no. Definitely not. She began folding her clothes before putting them away in her basket.

Behind her, Gail had retrieved a stash of candy out of her backpack and had started munching her way through it. “So, what kind of doctor are you?”

“I’m a forensic pathologist. I just transferred to a new job here. I’ll be starting in a few days.”

"Oh, dead people?" Gail pulled a face. "Kind of a change from the living, no?"

“Yes, but not that different? I mean, both are like solving a puzzle, only dead bodies can't tell you anything. Well, not with words at least? You have to find out what the body can tell you. For example, what if someone was hit by a bullet? How'd you solve the crime?” Holly went off on an extensive explanation about ballistics. Talking about her most favourite subject, she felt herself loosen up. She was talking animatedly until Gail reached out and put her finger on Holly’s lips.

Holly lifted an eyebrow.

Gail grimaced. “I’m sorry. You just… You just had to stop talking.”

Right. Getting to excited. Holly’s shoulders sagged a little. _That’s what happens when I get too excited about forensics._ “I won’t say another word.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” said Gail softly. “It’s just… I worked a case today that was… emotionally hard. A girl got shot and she died. And I’m glad you’re so excited about what you do, and I do want to hear you talk, but today is not the best day for this topic because it’s reminding me of all this shit…”

 _Oh. Okay._ “Do you want pants as well?”

“Huh?” Gail looked confused with the change of topic.

“To wear. You’re only wearing a t-shirt, you’re gonna get cold.”

Gail smiled. “Aw, doc. I thought you’d like being able to eye my legs.”

Holly dropped the underwear she’d just grabbed out of the machine. She felt the flush start up her face again. _Again? Seriously?_ _What is this woman doing to me?_

“Oi, doc. Don’t drop your knickers just yet.” She could practically hear the grin in Gail’s voice.

Holly stood up and shot her her best glare.

“Sorry,” Gail said sheepishly. “But, don’t worry about me getting cold. My friends call me the Ice Queen for a reason.” She paused. “Well, maybe not because I like to walk around with few clothes. It has more to do with my personality. I’m kind of a bitch.”

And then Holly kissed her. Gail’s eyes fluttered shut. Before she knew it, it was over, and then Holly got up and took a few steps back until her back hit the row of machines behind her.

“Maybe you’re a bitch, but you still taste kind of sweet.”

That lopsided smile was the most beautiful thing Gail ever had seen. _And I’m not even gay._

“What?” Holly looked confused. The smile had disappeared.

 _Oops, had she said that out loud?_ “I am super attracted to you,” she blurted out. “And I barely even know you. And besides that, I didn’t think I was gay.” She thought that over for a second. “I mean, it never crossed my mind? I don’t own enough fleece, or backpacks.”

Holly finished putting the last pieces of clothing in her basket. “You are insane. You know that, right?” And there was that smile again.

Gail shrugged. “I liked kissing you.”

“I did, too. We should do it again sometime.” She winked. She picked up her laundry basket. “When you return that shirt, maybe?”

Gail nodded slowly. “Where-”

“Same time next week?” Holly said over her shoulder, walking out of the laundromat.

Gail nodded. “See you then,” she said to the closing door.

She stared in wonder at door, her hand coming up slowly to touch her lips. _Did that really just happen?_  


End file.
